The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application 2004-273259, filed in the Japanese Patent Office Sep. 21, 2004; the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to a connector for a memory card.
A connector has been provided into which a memory card is inserted which includes a case in which parts which form a memory are accommodated, a contact region provided at a leading portion of the case in an insertion direction into the connector such that it extends in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and a plurality of contacts juxtaposed in the perpendicular direction to the insertion direction and extending in the insertion direction.
One of connectors of the type described above includes a mechanism for fitting and removing a memory card by push-in and push-out operations. According to the mechanism mentioned, when a memory card is to be fitted into the connector, it is pushed in the insertion direction into the connector (push-in operation) until the contacts of the memory card and connection terminals of the connector are connected to each other. Then in this state, the memory card is locked to the connector. Then, when the memory card is to be removed from the connector, the memory card connected to the connector is pushed in the insertion direction, whereupon the memory card is unlocked from the connector thereby to allow the memory card to be removed (push-out operation). A connector of the type described is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-124343 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
In particular, where the position of the memory card in the insertion direction when the memory card is connected to the connector is referred to as ordinary use position, when the memory card is fitted into the connector (upon push-in operation) and when the memory card is removed from the connector (upon push-out operation), the memory card is moved by a predetermined dimension (for example, approximately 1 to 2 mm) in the insertion direction from the ordinary use position. The predetermined distance is necessary for the mechanism to operate.